A Denial of Fate - 2

Shean: Enter Stage Right

I knew it was him, the girl shifted her stance and I could see the angles of his face. He had cut his hair, it no longer curled, but his eyes were the same inky black. The light caught on a stud in his ear and I recognized it as one of mine. His fitted t-shirt showed of his muscular arms, and peeping underneath a sleeve was the dragon teeth tattoo.

The girl, I noticed next, was nervous. She moved too much, obviously on edge being surrounded by so many dragons. Her eyes were too wide, her laugh to high-pitched and her shoulders too stiff for her to be relaxed. She moved as if Shean would bite her at any second and hell, he might at that. At least she didn't run from the dragons, I gave her that much, I would have been sprinting as fast as I could. She was pretty, and her blue eyes were a stunning shade of sapphire, but I could see the chaos of shifter swirling in their depths. It was a familiar sight.

I tore my eyes away from him as he turned his back to me. "Do you mind if we leave? I think my wallet has had all it can take today".

Claire checked her watch and nodded, "I should get home anyway". We gathered our trays up, depositing them on the trashcans nearby. I turned to say something to Claire and my eyes met Shean's. His eyes widened in surprise, I saw the pupils slit as his dragon looked out, then they narrowed in a cold anger. I would have frozen to the spot if Claire had not pushed me along.

I did all but will her to run to my car though, throwing our bags in the trunk. The ride home was longer than the ride to the mall, and I'm afraid I was more pensive on the return trip. Claire, bless her heart, didn't seem to notice though.

"We will go to Sutton next time. They have some cute boutiques we can try out", she gathered her bags out of my trunk, throwing them haphazardly into the trunk.

"That could be fun", I agreed as I took my bags inside.

I noticed a note on the table in my mom's handwriting. They would be home later that night, having gone to a neighborhood cook out. I dramatically sighed, even though no one was around to hear it, but smiled at having the house to myself. I spent a few hours putting my clothes away from the shopping spree and watching trash television. By the time I was done with dinner, it was dark enough for the crickets to be out.

The night was too nice to stay inside so I found a book I could read on my mom's shelf and settled on the porch hammock outside to read it. Between the plane flights, and the shopping spree, I was tired. I never heard the book hit the floor as I fell asleep. I also never heard my mother turn off the back porch light or cover me with a blanket.

But I did hear the floorboards of the porch creak as someone walked across them. I scooted over in the hammock my half-asleep mind thinking Sil was coming to join me. But the weight that slid into the hammock was too heavy, and the voice too masculine to be my sister.

"I thought that was you last night", my eyes flew open, meeting Shean's black ones as he spoke, stretching out beside me. I tried to move away but he grabbed my waist and tucked me against his warm body. "I was still surprised to see you at the mall today with Claire".

"Let me go", I struggled to free myself, but his grip tightened to bruising pressure, causing me to wince.

"Do you know", he whispered in my ear, his voice menacing, terrifying and exciting all at once, "the hell the last five years have been on me?" Chills went up and down my spine as he spoke, "You send me one thing. No calls, just one envelope with some jewelry, not even meant for me, and a letter. Do you know how angry I was? Damon and some others had to tie me to the ground", he growled against my neck. I could feel his teeth against my skin. Of course I knew, I had suffered just as much in my own way.

"What did you want me to do?" I struggled to get free but his arm remained a steel rope. "If I had stayed with you, I would have died or you would have died. Do you think I want to live when you are dead?" I punched him in the chest, several times, before he caught my hands. "And what if we had children that were like me? You could protect yourself and me, but me and a child? Me and two children? I don't want to live on the run".

He rested his head against mine, "I wanted you James. You were mine to protect, to keep sage and if it was needful, to kill and die for". I could hear the hitch in his voice, he was close to crying and that scared me. He was the big bad dragon and he wasn't supposed to cry.

"I couldn't do it then. I don't think I can now. Shean please don't", I wove my fingers through his short hair, missing curls I'd never touched. "I am still scared. I have always wanted to be safe, but how long will that last if I'm with you?" I could feel the hot sting of my own tears as I pleaded with him. Even wanting him to go, I felt at home in his arms.

He met my eyes again, reaching up to wipe away the tears with his thumb. That was my breaking moment and I began to cry in earnest. He pulled me onto his chest, setting the hammock to rocking as he comforted me. Once I had calmed down I added, "Do you think it was easier on me? I wanted to come home so much. I couldn't finish school, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. Your call, it was always there".

I scooted off of him and sat up, "Shean I wanted you for five years, no one but you and even now I can't trust myself. But you scare me, you always have".

"I know but James", he sighed, "you make me so angry. It brings the dragon out in me". He was warm, warmer than my t-shirt and blanket so I snuggled back down. "What did you do in North Dakota? Did you discover anything?"

"My father is a chimera now. He was a shifter when he was younger. He never knew I was also a shifter, he assumed I would be a phoenix like mom". I pulled the blanket up around my shoulders, "I felt my souls die after the calls stopped. It wasn't painful I suppose but it was sad. When the last one faded away, I decided I could come back. I didn't know what soul was left but I missed Sil and my car".

I felt his chuckle more than I heard it, "I came close to asking your mother if I could buy your car a time or two. What shape did you take?"

I rolled my eyes, my mother would never have sold him my car, she had a healthy dislike of dragons. "A dragon. It was my favorite, even before you. And then someone gave me a dragon heart", I shrugged, looking up at him. The smile on his face said he appreciated the sentiment.

"Come on", I climbed over him. The hammock was not made for two and was only comfortable for so long. "I'm going inside. It is too cold, even with you to keep me warm". I opened the back door and waited for him to follow me.

He had sat up, running his hands through his hair looking for all the world like he might say no, but then he got up and followed me inside the house. His hand on my hip I lead him towards my room where I flipped on the bedside lamp. My clock read just after two in the morning.

"Shoes off and whatever else you want to take off", I dug in my dresser for my sleeping shirt. I turned around, catching him giving me a look, a thoughtful expression on his face. "No ideas or you can climb out that window right now". I poked him in the chest, earning a laugh from him.

"As you say", he caught my hand and kissed it. I snatched my hand back and changed into the sleeping shirt. He watched my climb into bed, unmoving until I was settled in place. Then it was my turn to watch him undress down to his boxers, muscles rippling slowly. He slid into bed and I adjusted myself to fit him. Once comfortable he turned the light off, but I was asleep before the room was ever dark.